Deposition of conformal silicon oxide films

Abstract

A method for depositing a silicon-containing film on a substrate is described. The method includes heating a process chamber to a temperature of 200° C. or higher; maintaining the process chamber at a pressure of 300 Torr or lower; flowing a silicon precursor and nitrous oxide (NO) into the process chamber in parallel; and depositing a conformal silicon-containing film on the substrate. The silicon-containing film has a dielectric constant (k value) ranging from about 3.8 to about 4.0 and a dielectric constant of 1 mA / cm. 2 It has a breakdown voltage greater than 8MV / cm at a leakage current of 1nA / cm at 2MV / cm. 2 has a leakage current of less than

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of electronic device manufacturing, and in particular to integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for depositing conformal silicon oxide films by chemical vapor deposition. [Background technology]

[0002] Integrated circuits have evolved into complex devices that can contain millions of transistors, capacitors, and resistors on a single chip. Evolution in chip design continues to require faster circuits and greater circuit density. The demand for faster circuits with greater circuit density places corresponding demands on the materials used to fabricate such integrated circuits. In particular, as the dimensions of integrated circuit components shrink, it is necessary to use conductive materials with low resistivity and insulating materials with low dielectric constants to obtain adequate electrical performance from such components.

[0003] The deposition of films onto substrate surfaces is a critical process in a variety of industries, including semiconductor processing, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, diffusion barrier coatings, and dielectrics for magnetic read / write heads. As an example, in the semiconductor industry, miniaturization requires atomic-level control of thin film deposition to produce conformal coatings on high aspect ratio structures.

[0004] One method for film deposition is atomic layer deposition (ALD). Most ALD processes are based on a two-reaction sequence, in which two surface reactions each occur sequentially. Because the surface reactions are sequential, the two gas-phase reactants do not come into contact, limiting the potential gas-phase reactions that could form and deposit particles. While ALD tends to produce more conformal films than conventional chemical vapor deposition (CVD), processes for ALD have been more effective for the deposition of metal oxide and metal nitride films. The disclosed method improves thermal CVD deposition of conformal films to results comparable to those obtained by ALD.

[0005] Forming high-quality, stable silicon oxide dielectric layers has involved thermal reactions directly utilizing the silicon of the substrate and CVD depositions utilizing various precursors and oxygen sources. These thermal and CVD depositions tend to require high temperatures that are not necessarily suitable for deposition on substrates that have already been processed or that have progressed to back-end-of-line (BEOL) processing. In addition, such films can be leaky and have poor dielectric performance. Films with smaller thicknesses are also difficult to produce by these methods. Therefore, a process is needed to form high-quality, conformal layers of silicon oxide with low leakage and improved dielectric performance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A method for depositing a film is described. In one or more embodiments, the method for depositing a film includes exposing a surface to a silicon precursor and an oxygen source at a temperature of 200° C. or higher and a pressure of 300 Torr or lower to form a conformal silicon-containing film on the surface, the silicon-containing film having a molecular weight of 1E -3 A / cm 2 Breakdown voltage above 8MV / cm at leakage current of 1*10 -9 Å / cm 2 and a leakage current of less than 100 Ω.

[0007] One or more embodiments provide a method for depositing a film. The method includes heating a process chamber containing a substrate to a temperature of about 200° C. or higher; maintaining the process at a pressure of about 300 Torr or lower; flowing a silicon precursor and nitrous oxide (NO) concurrently into the reaction chamber; and depositing a conformal silicon-containing film on the substrate. The silicon-containing film has a dielectric constant (k value) ranging from about 3.8 to about 4.0, a dielectric constant of 1 mA / cm, and a dielectric constant of 1 mA / cm. 2 Breakdown voltage above 8MV / cm at leakage current of 1nA / cm at 2MV / cm 2 and a leakage current of less than 100 Ω.

[0008] One or more embodiments are directed to a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a controller of a processing chamber, cause the processing chamber to perform the operations of heating the processing chamber containing the substrate to a temperature of about 200° C. or greater; maintaining the processing chamber at a pressure of about 300 Torr or less; flowing a silicon precursor selected from one or more of disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, and polysilane and nitrous oxide (NO) into the reaction chamber in parallel; and depositing a conformal silicon-containing film on the substrate. The silicon-containing film has a dielectric constant (k value) ranging from about 3.8 to about 4.0 and a conductivity of about 1 mA / cm. 2 Breakdown voltage above 8MV / cm at leakage current of 1nA / cm at 2MV / cm 2 and a leakage current of less than 100 Ω. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] In order that the above-mentioned features of the present disclosure may be understood in detail, a more particular description of the present disclosure, briefly summarized above, will be obtained by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the present disclosure may admit of other equally effective embodiments, and therefore the accompanying drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements.

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views of a substrate according to one or more embodiments; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram of a method according to one or more embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Before describing several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details of construction or process steps set forth in the following description. The present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0012] As used herein and in the claims, the term "substrate" refers to a surface or a portion of a surface upon which a process acts. Also, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, a reference to a substrate can refer to only a portion of the substrate unless the context dictates otherwise. Additionally, a reference to deposition on a substrate can refer to both the bare substrate and one or more films or features deposited or formed on the substrate.

[0013] As used herein, "substrate" refers to any substrate or any material surface formed on a substrate on which a film treatment is performed during a manufacturing process. For example, substrate surfaces on which treatment can be performed include materials such as silicon, silicon oxide, strained silicon, silicon-on-insulator (SOI), carbon-doped silicon oxide, silicon nitride, doped silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, glass, sapphire, and any other materials such as metals, metal nitrides, metal alloys, and other conductive materials, depending on the application. Substrates include, but are not limited to, semiconductor wafers. Substrates may be exposed to pretreatment processes to polish, etch, reduce, oxidize, hydroxylate (or otherwise create or graft target chemical moieties to impart chemical functionality), anneal, and / or bake the substrate surface. In addition to film processing directly on the surface of the substrate itself, the present disclosure also allows any of the disclosed film processing steps to be performed on underlying layers formed on the substrate, as disclosed in more detail below, and the term "substrate surface" is intended to include such underlying layers as the context indicates. Thus, for example, if a film / layer or partial film / layer is deposited on a substrate surface, the exposed surface of the newly deposited film / layer would be the substrate surface. What a given substrate surface comprises will vary depending on what film is being deposited as well as the particular chemistry used.

[0014] As used herein and in the claims, terms such as "precursor," "reactant," and "reactive gas" are used interchangeably to refer to any gas species capable of reacting with a substrate surface. In one or more embodiments, the precursor is a silicon-based precursor.

[0015] One or more embodiments advantageously provide for the formation of high-quality, stable silicon oxide dielectric layers through the use of a thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. Additionally, the thermal CVD process of one or more embodiments forms high-quality, conformal layers of silicon-containing films, such as silicon oxide, with low leakage and improved dielectric performance.

[0016] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure are described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view of a device 100 according to one or more embodiments. In one or more embodiments, a feature 106 is formed on a top surface 104 of a substrate 102. The substrate 102 is provided for processing. As used herein and in the claims, the term "provided" means that the substrate is made available for processing (e.g., placed in a processing chamber). In some embodiments, the substrate 102 may include one or more of a semiconductor substrate, a processing chamber part, a workpiece, a pedestal, and a heater. As used herein, the term "workpiece" refers to any component, part of a component or device, or any object that can be integrated into a larger and / or more complex component or device.

[0017] While the figures show a substrate with a single feature for illustrative purposes, one skilled in the art will understand that multiple features may be present. The shape of the feature 106 can be any suitable shape, including, but not limited to, an apex, a trench, and a via. As used in this manner, the term "feature" refers to any irregular shape intentionally formed in a surface. Suitable examples of features include, but are not limited to, trenches and vias having a top surface, at least one sidewall, and a bottom surface, and an apex having a top surface 108 and at least one sidewall 112. The feature can have any suitable aspect ratio (the ratio of the depth of the feature to the width of the feature). In some embodiments, the aspect ratio is about 5:1, 10:1, 15:1, 20:1, 25:1, 30:1, 35:1, or 40:1 or greater.

[0018] 1B, a silicon-containing film 110 is conformally deposited on the top surface 104 of the substrate 102 and on the top surface 108 and at least one sidewall 112 of the feature 106. In one or more embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 is deposited by chemical vapor deposition. As used herein, "chemical vapor deposition" refers to a process in which the substrate surface is exposed to precursors and / or co-reagents simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. As used herein, "substantially simultaneously" refers to co-flow or when there is overlap for the majority of the precursor exposure.

[0019] In one or more embodiment CVD processes, reactive gases, such as a silicon precursor and a nitrous oxide source, are introduced into a reaction chamber. The reactive gases are then decomposed to generate excited SiH radicals from the silicon precursor. The excited SiH radicals chemically bond to the surface of the substrate and react with nitrous oxide (NO) to form a silicon-containing film 110. Gaseous byproducts of the reaction are then vented and removed from the reaction chamber.

[0020] In one or more embodiments, the silicon precursor includes one or more of disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, and polysilane. As used herein, the term "polysilane" refers to a type of organic-inorganic polymer having a polymer backbone made of silicon-silicon bonds with two substituents attached to each silicon atom. The substituents are typically hydrogen, alkyl, and / or aryl groups. For example, in some embodiments, polysilanes include, but are not limited to, dimethyl-polysilane (DMPS), poly(methylphenylsilane) (PMPS), poly(phenylsilane) (PPSi), decaphenylcyclopentasilane (DPPS), and poly(dimethylsilylene) ([CH3)2Si]. x ) etc.

[0021] In one or more embodiments, the silicon precursor comprises disilane. In some embodiments, the silicon precursor comprises trisilane. In other embodiments, the silicon precursor comprises tetrasilane. In further embodiments, the silicon precursor comprises polysilane.

[0022] In one or more embodiments, the surfaces 104, 108 are exposed to a silicon precursor and nitrous oxide (NO) at a temperature of 200° C. or greater and a pressure of 300 Torr or less to form a conformal silicon-containing film 110 on the surfaces 104, 108.

[0023] In one or more embodiments, the temperature is 400°C or higher. In other embodiments, the temperature is 200°C or higher. Without intending to be bound by theory, the temperature varies depending on the silicon precursor used and the temperature at which the silicon precursor cracks. As one skilled in the art will recognize, thermal cracking is a process in which a molecule (or compound) is exposed to a temperature that breaks its molecular bonds. In one or more embodiments, the silicon precursor comprises disilane, and the temperature is 450°C or higher. In other embodiments, the silicon precursor comprises trisilane, and the temperature is 350°C or higher. In other embodiments, the silicon precursor comprises one or more of tetrasilane and polysilicon, and the temperature is 200°C or higher.

[0024] The thermal CVD process of one or more embodiments may be carried out at a pressure ranging from about 1 Torr to about 300 Torr, including from about 1 Torr to about 200 Torr, or from about 1 Torr to about 100 Torr. In one or more embodiments, the pressure is about 300 Torr or less.

[0025] In one or more embodiments, the silicon precursor and nitrous oxide (NO) are co-flowed into the reaction chamber with a carrier gas. The carrier gas can be any suitable carrier gas known to those skilled in the art. In one or more embodiments, the carrier gas includes one or more of argon (Ar), helium (He), nitrogen (N), and hydrogen (H).

[0026] In one or more embodiments, the ratio of silicon precursor to nitrous oxide can be controlled to adjust the silicon content of the silicon-containing film 110.

[0027] In one or more embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 is a conformal film. As used herein and in the claims, the term "conformal" means that a layer conforms to the contours of a feature or layer. Layer conformality is typically quantified by the ratio of the average thickness of a layer deposited on the sidewall of a feature to the average thickness of the same deposited layer on the field or top surface of the substrate. Layers deposited by the methods described herein have been observed to have conformalities greater than about 30%, such as greater than about 70%, greater than about 7:10, such as greater than about 80%, greater than about 4:5, up to about 100%, about 1:1, or up to about 200% or greater, about 2:1. In one or more embodiments, conformality at a 10:1 aspect ratio of an approximately 25 nm critical dimension (CD) opening may be greater than about 90%.

[0028] In some embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 is a continuous film. As used herein, the term "continuous" refers to a layer that covers the entire exposed surface without gaps or bare spots that expose material underlying the deposited layer. A continuous layer may have gaps or bare spots whose surface area is less than about 1% of the total surface area of ​​the film. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 is a pinhole-free film. As used herein, the term "pinhole-free" refers to a layer that covers the entire exposed surface without gaps, bare spots, holes, pinholes, etc. that expose material underlying the deposited layer. A pinhole-free layer may have holes or pinholes whose surface area is less than about 1% of the total surface area of ​​the film.

[0029] In one or more embodiments, the silicon-containing film has a dielectric constant, or k value, ranging from about 3.8 to about 4.0. In one or more embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 is silicon oxide (SiO x ). While the term "silicon oxide" may be used to describe the silicon-containing film 110, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the present disclosure is not limited to a particular stoichiometry. For example, the terms "silicon oxide" and "silicon dioxide" may both be used to describe a material having silicon atoms and oxygen atoms in any suitable stoichiometric ratio. In one or more embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 contains less than 10% hydrogen, and the silicon to oxygen ratio is 1:2. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 contains less than about 8% hydrogen or less than about 5% hydrogen.

[0030] In one or more embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 advantageously has a surface roughness of 1E -3 A / cm 2 It has a breakdown voltage of over 8MV / cm at a leakage current of 1*10 at 2MV / cm. -9 Å / cm 2 In one or more embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 advantageously has a leakage current of less than 1E -3 A / cm 2 It has a breakdown voltage of over 9MV / cm at a leakage current of 1*10 at 2MV / cm. -9 Å / cm2 In one or more embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 advantageously has a leakage current of less than 1E -3 A / cm 2 It has a breakdown voltage of more than 10MV / cm at a leakage current of 1*10 -9 Å / cm 2 has a leakage current of less than

[0031] In one or more embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 has a thickness in the range of about 5 nm to about 5000 nm. In other embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 has a thickness in the range of about 5 nm to about 100 nm. In some embodiments, the silicon-containing film 110 has a thickness in the range of about 1000 nm to about 5000 nm.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram of method 200 according to one or more embodiments. In one or more embodiments, in operation 202, a substrate is provided in a reaction chamber. Note that in some embodiments, the substrate comprises a workpiece that may already be present in the reaction chamber. In one or more embodiments, in operation 204, the substrate is exposed to a silicon precursor and nitrous oxide. In some embodiments, the substrate is exposed to the silicon precursor and nitrous oxide simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. In operation 206, a silicon-containing film is deposited on the substrate surface. At decision point 208, the thickness of the deposited film or the number of process cycles is considered. If the deposited film has reached a predetermined thickness or the predetermined number of process cycles has been performed, method 200 proceeds to post-treatment operation 210. If the deposited film thickness or the number of process cycles has not reached a predetermined threshold, method 200 returns to operation 204 to re-expose the substrate to the silicon precursor and nitrous oxide.

[0033] The optional post-treatment operation 210 can be, for example, a process to modify film properties (e.g., annealing) or a further film deposition process to grow an additional film (e.g., an additional ALD or CVD process). In some implementations, the post-treatment operation 210 can be a process to modify the properties of the deposited film. In some embodiments, the post-treatment operation 210 includes annealing the film. In some embodiments, the annealing is performed at a temperature in the range of about 300°C, 400°C, 500°C, 600°C, 700°C, 800°C, 900°C, or 1000°C. The annealing environment in some embodiments includes one or more of an inert gas (e.g., molecular nitrogen (N), argon (Ar)), or a reducing gas (e.g., molecular hydrogen (H) or ammonia (NH)), or an oxidizing agent (e.g., but not limited to, oxygen (O), ozone (O), or peroxide). The annealing can be performed for any suitable length of time.

[0034] The embodiments described herein with respect to thermal CVD processes can be carried out using any suitable thin film deposition system. Examples of suitable systems include the PRECISION 5000® system, the PRODUCER® system, the PRODUCER® GT™ system, and the PRODUCER® XP Precision. TM Systems such as the PRODUCER® SE™ system, all of which are commercially available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California, include those capable of performing CVD processes. Other tools capable of performing CVD processes may also be adapted to benefit from the embodiments described herein. Additionally, any system capable of enabling the thermal CVD processes described herein may be advantageously used. Any apparatus descriptions described herein are exemplary and should not be understood or construed as limiting the scope of the implementations described herein.

[0035] In one or more embodiments, the CVD processing chamber may be controlled using a controller. The controller may be any suitable component capable of controlling one or more processing chambers. For example, the controller may be a computer including a central processing unit (CPU), memory, input / output, appropriate circuitry, and storage.

[0036] The processes may be stored in the controller's memory, typically as software routines that, when executed by a processor, cause the processing chamber to perform the processes of the present disclosure. The software routines may also be stored and / or executed by a second processor located remotely from the hardware controlled by the processor. Some or all of the methods of the present disclosure may also be performed in hardware. Thus, the processes may be implemented in software and implemented in hardware using a computer system, for example, as an application-specific integrated circuit or other type of hardware implementation, or as a combination of software and hardware. The software routines, when executed by a processor, transform a general-purpose computer into a special-purpose computer (controller) that controls chamber operation to perform the processes.

[0037] In some embodiments, the CVD processing chamber is part of a tool for processing one or more substrates. In some embodiments, the CVD processing chamber is in a modular system that includes multiple chambers that perform various functions, including substrate center detection and orientation, degassing, annealing, deposition, and / or etching. According to one or more embodiments, the modular system includes at least a first processing chamber and a central transfer chamber. The central transfer chamber may house a robot capable of transferring substrates back and forth between the processing chambers and a load lock chamber. The transfer chamber is typically maintained under vacuum and provides an intermediate stage for transferring substrates back and forth from one chamber to another and / or to a load lock chamber positioned at the front end of the cluster tool. Two well-known modular systems that may be adapted for the present disclosure are the PRODUCER® XP Precision and PRECISION 5000® systems, both commercially available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California.

[0038] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a controller of a processing chamber, cause the processing chamber containing the substrate to perform operations of heating the processing chamber to a temperature of about 200° C. or greater; maintaining the processing chamber at a pressure of about 300 Torr or less; flowing a silicon precursor selected from one or more of disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, and polysilane and nitrous oxide (NO) into the processing chamber in parallel; and depositing a conformal silicon-containing film on the substrate, the conformal silicon-containing film having a dielectric constant (k value) in the range of about 3.8 to about 4.0 and a dielectric constant of 1 mA / cm. 2 It has a breakdown voltage greater than 8MV / cm at a leakage current of 1nA / cm at 2MV / cm. 2 The deposition operation is performed with a leakage current of less than 100 .mu.m.

[0039] Spatially relative terms such as "lower," "below," "below," "upper," and "above" may be used herein for convenience of description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to one or more other elements or features shown in the figures. It should be understood that these spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations or operations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. For example, if a device in the figures were turned over, elements described as "below" or "below" other elements or features would now be "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "lower" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. A device may also be oriented differently (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0040] The use of the terms "a," "an," and "the" and similar referents in the context of describing the materials and methods described herein (particularly in the context of the claims) should be construed to cover both the singular and the singular, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The recitation of ranges of values ​​herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated herein as if it were individually listed herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein is intended merely to better clarify the materials and methods and does not impose a limitation on scope unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any element not claimed as essential to the practice of the disclosed materials and methods.

[0041] Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "one or more embodiments," or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one or more embodiments," "some embodiments," "in one embodiment," or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment of the present disclosure. In one or more embodiments, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner.

[0042] Although the disclosure herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the disclosed method and apparatus without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, the disclosure is intended to cover such modifications and variations provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. 1. A method of depositing a film, comprising: The surface was treated with a silicon precursor and nitrous oxide (N ２ and O) at a temperature of 200° C. or greater and a pressure of 300 Torr or less to form a conformal silicon-containing film on the surface, wherein the conformal silicon-containing film is －３ A / cm ２ It has a breakdown voltage of more than 8 MV / cm at a leakage current of 1*10 －９ Å / cm ２ having a leakage current of less than

2. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon precursor comprises one or more of disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, and polysilane.

3. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon precursor comprises disilane and the temperature is 400°C or greater.

4. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon precursor comprises trisilane and the temperature is 350°C or greater.

5. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon precursor comprises tetrasilane or polysilane and the temperature is 200°C or greater.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure ranges from 1 Torr to about 300 Torr.

7. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the conformal silicon-containing film has a dielectric constant (k value) in the range of about 3.8 to about 4.

0.

8. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon precursor and the nitrous oxide are co-flowed in a carrier gas.

9. The carrier gas may be argon (Ar), helium (He), or nitrogen (N ２ ), and hydrogen (H ２ 9. The method of claim 8, comprising one or more of:

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises one or more of a semiconductor substrate, a processing chamber part, a workpiece, a pedestal, and a heater.

11. The conformal silicon-containing film is silicon oxide (SiO ｘ 10. The method of claim 1, comprising:

12. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the conformal silicon-containing film contains less than 10% hydrogen and a silicon to oxygen ratio of 1:

2.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more of the semiconductor substrate, the workpiece, the pedestal, and the heater include at least one feature thereon.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one feature is selected from a peak, a trench, and a via.

15. 1. A method of depositing a film, comprising: heating a processing chamber containing the substrate to a temperature of about 200° C. or greater; maintaining the processing chamber at a pressure of about 300 Torr or less; Silicon precursor and nitrous oxide (N ２ O) into the processing chamber in parallel; depositing a conformal silicon-containing film on the substrate, the conformal silicon-containing film having a dielectric constant (k value) in the range of about 3.8 to about 4.0 and a dielectric constant of 1 mA / cm ２ and a breakdown voltage of greater than 8 MV / cm at a leakage current of 1 nA / cm at 2 MV / cm. ２ depositing a conformal silicon-containing film having a leakage current of less than A method comprising:

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the conformal silicon-containing film has a thickness in the range of about 5 nm to about 5000 nm.

17. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the silicon precursor comprises one or more of disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, and polysilane.

18. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the conformal silicon-containing film contains less than 10% hydrogen (H) and a silicon to oxygen ratio of 1:

2.

19. The silicon precursor and the nitrous oxide are co-flowed in a carrier gas, and the carrier gas is selected from argon (Ar), helium (He), nitrogen (N ２ ), and hydrogen (H ２ 16. The method of claim 15, comprising one or more of:

20. 1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a controller of a processing chamber, cause the processing chamber to: heating a processing chamber containing the substrate to a temperature of about 200° C. or greater; maintaining the processing chamber at a pressure of about 300 Torr or less; a silicon precursor selected from one or more of disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, and polysilane; and nitrous oxide (N ２ O) into the processing chamber in parallel; depositing a conformal silicon-containing film on the substrate, the conformal silicon-containing film having a dielectric constant (k value) in the range of about 3.8 to about 4.0 and a current density of 1 mA / cm ２ and a breakdown voltage of greater than 8 MV / cm at a leakage current of 1 nA / cm at 2 MV / cm. ２ depositing a conformal silicon-containing film having a leakage current of less than A computer-readable medium for implementing the above.

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